How Much Does Cavity Wall Insulation Cost?

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Two leaves or skins made of bricks with insulation between them

Cavity wall insulation costs roughly €7.50 - €10.50 per m2 and for a standard, three-bedroom house, about €1,900 - €2,200. There are SEAI grants available for cavity wall insulation up to €1,700 depending on the size of your home. Cavity wall insulation involves filling the cavity between your inner and outer walls with an insulating material that will help your home to become more energy efficient, reducing the amount of heat that is lost through your exterior walls.

How Much Does Cavity Wall Insulation Cost?

Simply put, the more space that needs to be filled, the more the insulation will cost, but you can expect to pay between €7.50 - €10.50 per m2.

The exact cost of your cavity wall insulation will depend on various factors, including:

  1. The size of your home
  2. The width of the cavity
  3. The type of insulation material
  4. Accessibility
  5. Labour costs

The table below provides a rough estimate of the cost of cavity wall insulation for different sized properties:

🏡 Cavity Wall Insulation Cost Estimates
PropertyEstimated Cost
Two-Bed Semi-Detached House€1,500–€1,900
Three-Bed Semi-Detached House€1,900–€2,200
Four-Bed Semi-Detached House€2,200–€2,600

Source: Energyefficiency.ie

Do I Need Planning Permission for Cavity Wall Insulation?

No. Planning permission is not required for cavity wall insulation however if your home is a protected structure or in a conservation area, you should inquire with your local council before commencing with your insulation work

Are There Grants For Cavity Wall Insulation?

The SEAI are offering grants for cavity wall insulation to all homeowners. The grant amount is dependent on the size of your property but range from €700 for apartments, to €1,700 for detached homes.

The grant is only available for homes that were built and occupied before 2011.

To apply for a wall insulation grant, you can apply online via the Individual Home Energy Upgrade application portal.

🏡 Cavity Wall Insulation Grant Amounts
Property SizeGrant Value
Apartment (Any)€700
Mid-Terrace House€800
Semi-Detached/End-Terrace€1,200
Detached House€1,700

How Much Money Can Cavity Wall Insulation Save You?

Keep in mind that by installing insulation you should also be able to save up to €300 a year off your heating bills, so view cavity insulation as an investment that will pay off after just a couple of years.

How Do I Find a Cavity Wall Insulation Contractor?

In order to find a contractor that both suits your needs and budget for your home cavity wall insulation project, we recommend following these steps:

  • Online Search: Search for contractors in your area and filter for those who are best reviewed.
  • SEAI Website: Consult the SEAI website for their list of registered contractors. If you are applying for a grant, you'll need to contract a registered contractor from the SEAI.
  • Check Reviews: Look for contractor who are well reviewed. Look for those with positive reviews regarding quality of work, professionalism, budget etc.
  • Get Recommendations: If any family members or neighbours have had insulation done, ask them for a recommendation.
  • Contact Multiple Contractors: In order to get the best price, compare multiple quotes from multiple contractors before making your decision.

What Is Cavity Wall Insulation?

Cavity wall insulation is when a material is used to fill the space in between the two “skins”. The material inserted can be, but is not limited to:

  • Glass wool
  • Rock wool
  • Cellulose
  • Foam
  • Polystyrene beads

Most modern buildings are already built with insulated cavity walls, but older buildings do not. Almost a third of heat lost in uninsulated homes escapes through the walls.

How Does Cavity Wall Insulation Work?

Small holes are drilled at gaps of about 1 metre in the wall, and the insulation is injected through the holes. The holes are then sealed with cement or white putty. Installers are normally careful in their placement so as not to destroy the aesthetic of your house, but you can always touch up the filled-in holes with paint to match the surrounding walls.

Cavity Wall Insulation

The main aim of this type of insulation is to reduce heat loss that may occur when the cavity between the skins is empty. Filling the space in a cavity is done to reduce the possibility of convection.

By removing the possibility of air moving around between the two leaves of a wall, convection can be greatly reduced or even eliminated. To what degree depends on the quality of material used. The less air that is able to circulate, the less heat that can be lost.

It is a simple process which will only take around two hours. We do not recommend doing it yourself, due to the potential to cause structural or cosmetic damage to your outer walls.

What Are The Benefits of Cavity Wall Insulation?

There are several benefits to having your wall cavities insulated, from saving on energy costs to improving the value of your property.

Some of the benefits include:

  • Cavity Wall Insulation Benefits
  • Heating Bills - Proper wall insulation can significantly reduce the heating bill for a home.
  • Environmentally Friendly - Reduces the amount of energy you need to heat your home.
  • Noise Reduction - Lowers the amount of noise you hear from inside your home while working.
  • Heat Retention - Makes your home more comfortable, especially during colder months.
  • Higher Property Value - Well insulated walls help increase the BER rating of your home.
  • Energy Neutrality - Can help as part of a passive house.
  • Combine with a heat pump - together with a heat pump and other energy saving appliances you can further lower your bills

Are There Any Drawbacks to Cavity Wall Insulation?

Overall, we can say that there are no negatives to having your cavity walls insulated. It offers a relatively cheap means of insulating your home to improve its heating efficiency and lower your energy bills.

Potential damp problems can arise from bad installation or poor understanding of your property.

If a house has a brick wall in an area with wind driven rain, there is a possibility of moisture permeating through solid insulation. Bonded bead insulation solves this by allowing water to trickle down through the honeycomb.

Properly installed cavity wall insulation should help to prevent damp in most environments.

Cavity Wall Insulation FAQ's

Can I Do Cavity Wall Insulation Myself?

We do not recommend carrying out the insulation process by yourself, Cavity wall insulation requires specialist equipment and trained personal to make sure it is done correctly to avoid any long term issues.

How Do I Know If I Have a Cavity Wall?

Most houses built after the 1940s in Ireland have cavity walls. 

You can check the thickness of your external walls (if they are more than 260mm thick, it is likely a cavity wall) or look at the pattern of the bricks (if they are laid lengthways in a simple alternating pattern, it is likely a cavity wall).

Can Cavity Wall Insulation Cause Dampness?

Dampness can occur, but this is generally due to poor installation as opposed to a downside of the insulation itself.

Walls that are in an area of the house that have wind driven rain should be insulated with bonded beat insulation to allow any water that permeates to trickle down.

How Long Does Cavity Wall Insulation Last?

Done properly, cavity wall insulation should last the entirety of the lifetime of the building.

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